


The Traveler's Son

by SilvermistAnimeLover



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Harry, Basing a lot of their personalities off the Fenyx Rising game, Demigod Harry, Demigod Harry Potter, Gen, Godling, Gods will likely be ooc, Harry Potter is a Horcrux, Harry is a god, Harry is an adorabe baby, Hermes is a Good Dad, Hermes is a dad, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I haven't read the pjo books, Lily and James still die, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, My first published Harry Potter story, This is set mostly in the hp world but modern day, This was your warning, no pairings for harry, olympus, sorry - Freeform, this is your warning, took some inspiration from Fenyx Rising, unlikely to see other PJO demigods
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:41:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28124799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilvermistAnimeLover/pseuds/SilvermistAnimeLover
Summary: Hermes, god of Travelers, thieves, languages, and many other things, was not happy. His beloved son, Hadrian, had been taken from him. He'd been taken and hidden away and /abused/. This, he would not stand for. Zeus' laws be damned! Hermes was going to raise his son on Olympus, and he would smite anyone who dared tell him otherwise. Harry was HIS son. And he would protect him no matter what.(Work subject to change, this is a trial run.)
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Comments: 24
Kudos: 217
Collections: BooksToMonitor, Fanfics I’d eat again at 3 am and already have





	1. A Desperate Plea

**_A/N: Wow, it's been a while. This is my first delve into the PJO fandom, and I HAVE NOT READ THE BOOKS. This is your second warning (see tags). I am basing the gods' characterizations off of a mixture of the fanfics I've read and the Immortals: Fenyx Rising game (a crossover of that is coming up, too). I really don't want to hear about how this god is super out of character, so this has been your warning._ **

**_That being said, this is my first time publishing anything HP related, so please be patient with me on this. I really don't know where it's going or why I'm posting so early on. I suppose I just feel bad for leaving my readers hanging for so long. This fic is mostly set in the Harry Potter universe. I will not likely include Percy, Annabeth or any of the other PJO demigods in this as I have not read the books (I'm working on that, though)._ **

**_That in mind, I still hope you enjoy this work. I own only my own ideas. Please keep in mind that this is FANFICTION, meaning it will not be perfect. It is not meant to be perfect. You are not obligated to read this in any capacity. If you do not like the way I write these characters, please do not comment about it. I get enough assholes at work. Thank you._ **

* * *

* * *

Hermes was a busy god. He had countless deliveries all day, _and_ had to ferry souls to the underworld when Thanatos got too overwhelmed. He only did that when _asked_ , though, because that was by far his least favorite task. He _loved_ gossiping with Aphrodite, and gambled every now and then with a few gods from other pantheons (don’t tell Zeus!).

Oh, sure, he knew of the wizarding world. Who didn’t? It was Hecate’s little pet project, and she was fairly defensive of it. Despite this, she allowed gods to mingle with her people. It was perhaps the only true neutral ground for the gods of the many pantheons, and it was the only place Hermes could think of off the top of his head that had a solid grounding of belief in them.

Wizards still believed in the gods of old, be it the Norse, Greek or Roman. Some older families even had shrines dedicated to some of them, which was always a welcome thing (especially in this day and age). Perhaps this was why Hecate was so nonchalant with them interacting with her people. They were aware of them, so there wasn’t much risk of angering Zeus or his counterparts if they were found out.

Though it _was_ pretty funny when Thor was sent to earth and turned mortal as punishment a while back. Hermes _still_ had blackmail pictures.

He was out on a delivery in England when he felt it. The pulse of an old spell that he thought had been lost centuries ago. It was a fertility call sent out to any gods in the general vicinity. Since this was England, and a lot of Hecate’s people were nearby, he figured it must be one of them.

For a moment, he thought about just ignoring it and letting some other god (or monster, depending) answer their call, but Hermes was a curious one. When he arrived he saw two naked mortals sitting around a runic circle.

“Wow, I’m impressed you knew that ritual.” He said, startling the two. The lapse in concentration caused the signal to shut down, preventing anyone else from homing in on the location.

“Who…?” The man asked.

“You _did_ call someone, didn’t you? That’s a pretty vague rune, though.” Hermes pointed to one of the symbols. “You should be more careful. You could’ve summoned just about any hungry monster into your home.”

“Who are you? Please, can you help us?” The woman asked. Hermes took a moment to take in her appearance. She was fair-skinned and had fiery red hair that fell down in waves. Bright intelligent green eyes held a spark of divinity, and Hermes abruptly realized that this was a Daughter of Athena.

He turned to regard the man. He had messy black hair and sharp blue eyes framed with glasses. There was a weaker—but still somewhat recent—scent of divinity. If he was reading it right, this was a grandson or great grandson of Ares. Quite the interesting mix.

“I’m Hermes, Greek God of messengers, thieves, travelers, luck, wealth, and—lucky for you—fertility.” He gave a lavish bow.

“Please, Lord Hermes.” The man started. “My name is James Potter, of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter, and… I need an heir. My wife, Lily, and I have been trying but…”

Hermes looked closely at James. “It looks like your fertility is weak. You probably wouldn’t be able to have any children without some kind of divine intervention.” He agreed. “However, both of you are descended from gods. I can’t say I’m willing to have a kid with _that_ much divinity. Not only would it put that kid in _immense_ danger, but there’s really no guarantee that Lily would survive the birth. Not to mention the fact that _I_ could get in trouble if he’s got too much divinity.”

“Isn’t there _something_?” Lily asked, a desperate gleam in her eyes. Hermes found himself at a loss for a moment. Something inside of him pulled towards her, telling him to listen and answer their plea.

“I suppose… If the child stays in the magical world, it’d hide their divinity from monsters… they’d be more than a demigod, though. Adding a full god parent into the mix… best case scenario, they’d have around 60–70% divinity, depending on where the genes fall.” He mused. “But there _is_ a chance—small though it is—that the kid could inherit more divinity than humanity. They could end up becoming a full-on god.”

“So… you can’t help us?” James looked rather heartbroken.

“I never said that.” Hermes smirked, and the light of hope flared up in both their eyes. “But first I want to hear why you want a child this badly. You could adopt. You could use… what do the mortals call it? Artificial insemination or something like that? If you need an heir that badly, magic and blood adoption should solve your problems. You really don’t need to use such a desperate ploy.”

“We’ve looked into adopting, but we felt it wouldn’t be right to adopt a non-magical child. It would be cruel to adopt someone who could never be part of this world.” Lily finally answered. “And with all the orphanages we’ve visited, not _one_ had a single magical child. I assume it’s because…” She trailed off.

That’s right, there was some kind of magical war going on, wasn’t there? Some guy who had it in for people without magic. Or maybe it was people with non-magical parents? The guy must’ve been killing kids who showed signs of magic or something. Honestly, mortals had wars for the silliest of reasons. Not that the gods didn’t, but it was somehow more entertaining when it was the mortals. Like watching children throw things at each other.

“So let me get this straight.” Hermes started. “You two want a kid. You can’t find a magical one to adopt and refuse to adopt a non-magical one because it would be cruel. As such, you two decided to ask for an outside source to help you along. And you’re both wiling to have a kid with a _god_ despite the possibility of not surviving the birth and the possibility of the kid turning out to be mostly immortal. Do I have that right?”

“Yes.” Lily answered without an ounce of hesitation. Hermes laughed, he liked this one.

“All right, then.”

“Just like that?” James blinked, surprised.

“Yep. But, there’s one little thing.” Hermes turned to James. “You want an heir, so the easiest way to do that, would be to possess _you_. The kid would have three parents.”

“Then do it.” James agreed. “I willingly accept.”

“All right. Let’s have some fun.”


	2. With Child

_**A/N: It's been a bit. Sorry, I thought I'd already posted this one. Well, this story isn't my most polished work, but this is fanficiton, and I wrote it for fun (read: Shits and Giggles). So if you enjoy it, great. If not, well... I'm sure there's something out there for you yet.** _

_**All flames are unwelcome and will be fed to my cult (jk. Or am I?)** _

* * *

* * *

As expected, Lily was with child soon after. Normally, a god would stick around only for the night, or until they knew the kid was in development. But Hermes had taken a bit of a liking towards the spunky and outspoken Lily Potter, and wanted to make sure she survived the pregnancy and birth.

This kid would be _strong_. He realized that very quickly. Even as the child was developing, he could catch wisps of divinity. He really hoped he didn’t just accidentally make a new god, because his father would be _very_ displeased. Mostly because there wouldn’t really be anything he could do about it.

If he wanted Lily to survive, he needed to be there for the birth. He may not be a healer, but a bit of ambrosia should do the trick—and be relatively safe when the kid inside her was a demigod.

Moreover, he was curious. He’d never stuck around for the whole shebang before (he was fairly sure few gods—if any—had). And Hermes was never one to turn his back on his curiosity.

Lily and James were delighted and honored that he wanted to stick around, and took great joy in showing him around the Wizarding world. It may have been a time of war, but there were still things to do and enjoy. Hermes _did_ find a new love in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream parlour.

“I can’t say I’ve had this flavor of ice cream before.” He eyed the coffee and nutmeg swirl he’d gotten.

“You’ve _never_ had coffee ice cream?” Lily asked, astonished, as they took a seat at one of the outdoor tables.

“Nope.” Hermes grinned as James took a seat on Hermes’ other side, across from Lily.

“Well then I hope you like it.” James laughed. “Sirius sure didn’t.”

“He’s got the biggest sweet tooth, I swear.” Lily shook her head. She rubbed her growing belly affectionately as she took a bit of her treacle tart ice cream.

“It’s like the Wizards learned about Nectar and took it as a challenge.” Hermes laughed as he took a bite. It was actually pretty good. Coffee was something he lived on, and ice cream that was _made with coffee_ was incredible.

“Nectar?” Lily’s eyes sparkled like Athena when she found something new to study.

“The drink of the gods.” Hermes explained. “It tastes like whatever your favorite food is.”

“That sounds amazing.” James leaned on his hand. “Sometimes I forget you’re actually a god. You’re pretty down-to-earth.”

“I’m an irresponsible god, for sure.” Hermes chuckled. “But you’re kind of stuck with me, now.”

“You know, from the stories I’ve grown up with, the gods tend to just… bail.” James noted as he finished his cone.

“Most do.” Hermes agreed. “I’m guilty of it, myself. I’ve never actually witnessed a human’s birth. I guess I kind of want to see it. Call it curiosity.”

“Hm… and what will you do, _oh irresponsible god_ , if you wanted to stay after the birth?” Lily challenged, a smirk dancing on her lips.

“Bold of you to assume I would.” Hermes smirked back. “It’s not like the kid wouldn’t grow up with two parents.”

“Mmm…” Lily hummed but said nothing more.

“Oh, it’s getting late.” James frowned. “We should head home. Would you like to stay with us tonight?”

Hermes blinked. It’d been about a month or two since he’d met them, and while he’d seen their house once or twice, he’d never been invited to stay. It wasn’t like there was anyone waiting for him at home, either. Aphrodite was busy with… whatever it was she was doing, and it wasn’t like he was _married_ to anyone. “Sure.”

“Then let’s go. Do you want to side-along or…?”

“Oh, _gods_ no. I hate wizard travel.” Hermes snorted. “I’ll meet you there.” He then vanished faster than the mortals could see, appearing in front of the house nearly a full three seconds before Lily and James appeared.

“I’ll never understand how you just _vanish_ like that.” Lily sighed.

“It’s a gift.” Hermes grinned.

* * *

James wasn’t entirely sure _when_ it happened, but one night became the next and before he or Lily had realized it, Hermes—a _Greek God_ that was worshipped by several people he knew—was _living_ with them. It was surreal. He’d heard stories of gods helping mortals who had piqued their interest, but he’d never heard of one _befriending_ mortals before. Not like this. Hermes helped out with chores, and joined Lily in the kitchen (until she inevitably kicked him out because he was apparently _horrendous_ at cooking).

James had actually found himself starting to think of the god as a friend rather than the god he was. Hermes was just so _easy_ to get along with. They pulled some pranks here and there, and James dared to think of Hermes as a _fifth_ Marauder.

He really wanted to introduce Hermes to Sirius, Remus and Peter, but Hermes was hesitant. James didn’t push it—this may very well have been his first time getting this involved with mortals, and he might not want to get involved with more. Friend or not, he was still a god, and James would respect that decision.

Lily was coming along nicely, and they were just over the halfway mark. Today, they were looking at names.

“I like Hadrian for a boy, after my great grandfather.” James spoke up.

“Harry could be his nickname.” Lily agreed. “And for a girl… I rather like the name Ivy or Azalea—it’s a family tradition of mine to name girls after flowers. What do you think, Hermes?”

“Me? I’m not too great with names… Adrian was an older Greek name I was rather fond of. Tacking an H in front sounds fine by me. Don’t ask me about girls’ names, though. Besides, you two are the parents, I shouldn’t have a say in this.”

“You’re the kid’s father just as much as I am.” James disagreed. “Lily’s chosen the kid’s first name, and they’re stuck with my last name, so…” He grinned. “I think the middle name should be something you decide.”

“Me?” Hermes blinked in surprise. James was fairly sure that mortals didn’t often ask the gods what they wanted their kids to be named.

“Yes, _you_.”

“Uh…” Hermes blinked rapidly, and James was enjoying the way the god squirmed in place. “I decline?”

“Okay.” Lily said nonchalantly, and the god relaxed. “Then their middle name will be Ermis, which is the Greek translation of Hermes.”

“You’re naming your kid after _me_?!”

Lily, frustrated, snatched Hermes’ wrist without so much as a by your leave and held his hand against her swollen belly. The god’s eyes widened as he felt what James knew to be a kick. There was a flicker of something and Hermes’ entire expression changed to one of awe.

“They’re… _alive_.”

“And he’s just as much your child as he is James’.” Lily stated firmly.

“He?” James blinked.

“Just a feeling.” Lily smiled knowingly. He felt it best not to question a mother’s intuition. Scary thing, that.

“I… that’s… my _son_.” Hermes whispered, still in awe.

“I guess it’s not something you’ve experienced?” Lily grinned.

“Gods aren’t born like mortals. Most of us are born as adults or older kids. We’re usually born from experiences and beliefs, not wombs and mothers—not like that.”

“Sounds kind of lonely.” Lily said softly.

“Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. I wouldn’t know any different.”

“Well, maybe it’s time you learn.”

“Maybe it is.”

* * *

“Are you listening, Hermes?” Aphrodite glared, and the God of Messengers startled briefly.

“Sorry, I was listening to a prayer. You were saying?”

The Goddess of Beauty—who was feeling blonde today—rolled her eyes. “I was trying to tell you the latest gossip about Apollo and his latest delve into stupidity, but you seem to have _other_ things on your mind.” She grinned. “Care to share?”

“Nah, it’s nothing interesting.” He shrugged. “Though the mortals have coffee flavored ice cream, and it’s _good_.” He grinned. Aphrodite could be relentless when she sniffed a good piece of gossip, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to tell her about his unborn kid.

It wasn’t unusual for gods who were having disagreements to attack each other’s kids (just look at Zeus and _his_ brothers). For most gods, losing a mortal child wasn’t that big of a problem. It was sad, yes, and disappointing, but more than anything it was like an insult. Unlike the mortals, who guarded their kids with their lives, most of the gods saw mortal children as… projects more than anything.

The mortals would think less of them, but from their point of view these kids would die before long anyways. To gods like them, a few decades (the average lifespan of a demigod) was more like a few years to a human. If even. What was the point in getting attached when they’d just _die_ anyways?

But there’d been something _more_ with Hadrian (he trusted Lily’s intuition that the child was a boy). When he’d felt that kick, it was like something buried deep inside him burst to life. He’d felt this wave of awe and protectiveness swell up within him, and it baffled him.

For the first time in his long life, Hermes wasn’t sure what he felt. The one thing he _did_ know was that he didn’t want any of the other gods catching wind that he had a son on the way. And he’d sooner take a swim in the Styx than let Zeus catch wind of this. And as much as he valued his friendship with Aphrodite, the goddess just didn’t know how to keep her trap shut sometimes.

So Hermes would do whatever it took to get her off the trail of Hadrian Ermis Potter. And if that meant airing some of the blackmail and dirty laundry of the other gods to do it, then so be it. He had a juicy piece on Artemis that he knew would distract Aphrodite, and the Goddess of the hunt could be mad at him later for spilling some dirt. It was really _her_ fault for slipping and giving him a good photo opportunity.

The moment he found an out, he took it. He flew away from Olympus faster than a mortal could blink, and found himself at the Potter Mansion a moment later. He reached into his pocket and produced the house key that Lily had given him, allowing the wards to recognize him and the door to grant him entrance even when they weren’t home.

Which they were, but the key was still nice. “I’m home!” He called out, a grin on his face.

“In the kitchen, Herms!” Lily called out. Any other god would take great offence to the shortening of their name, but from James and Lily, he really didn’t mind it.

“You’re not going to throw another grapefruit at me if I step foot in here, are you?” He asked unsure, eyeing the fruit bowl sitting within reach of the redhead.

“Not unless you touch the stove.” She promised. James snickered from where he was hunting in the fridge for a snack.

“It’s not nice to laugh.” Hermes pouted, causing James to chuckle harder.

“Actually, we wanted to talk to you about something.” Lily spoke up.

“Oh?”

“Harry will need godparents.” James stated.

“Ah, that’s the mortal tradition of a secondary set of parents, right? Someone to raise the child if the parents die?”

“Yes.” Lily wore a serious expression. “Since there’re three of us, I figured each one of us can choose a godparent. Two mortal, and one immortal. Like it or not, our world is at war. There’s a very real possibility that James and I could die while Harry’s still young.”

Hermes’ stomach clenched at that thought, and he mentally cursed himself for getting attached. They were _mortal_. Not only that, but they were fighting in a war. They could die at any moment. He was a fool for befriending them, but he figured it was too late now. He was already in too deep, so he’d mourn when they died, but enjoy what they had.

And he’d make damn sure Hades sent these two to the Elysian Fields. They would enjoy peace.

“I think Alice Longbottom should be his godmother.” Lily spoke up. “She’s already asked me to be the godmother to her unborn child, and we’ve been good friends for years.”

“A wonderful choice.” James nodded. “Of course, I think Sirius should be his godfather.”

“Sirius? Isn’t he a little… Immature?” Lily frowned.

“I have a feeling that he’ll fit into the responsibility just fine.” James grinned easily.

“If you say so…” Lily shook her head. “And you, Hermes? Have anyone in mind?”

He hummed. A godparent? Gods never really did this sort of thing. It was a moot point when none of them could really die unless they were killed by something specifically made to _kill_ a god. Plus, most of them were born as adults, so the concept of a godparent was entirely foreign to them. It was such a _mortal_ thing.

Who would he choose? Certainly not Aphrodite. She was far too immature. Ares would be a nightmare, and while Apollo was friendly, he wasn’t sure he was responsible enough to handle a kid.

Then again, did it really matter when he himself was immortal? If—gods forbid—anything happened to James and Lily (and the mortal godparents), Hermes would be there.

He stopped at that thought. Since when had he planned to stay and raise Harry? It was illegal. He’d get in _so much trouble_ if someone found out. But at the same time, it felt so _wrong_ to just leave after all this. He didn’t think he had it in him to abandon James and Lily—especially during a time of war.

He supposed Chiron might be a viable option, but that didn’t feel right, either. “I can’t say I do.” He finally answered. “Gods don’t really do this sort of thing. This is a purely mortal tradition.”

“Don’t worry yourself over it.” James said. “You don’t _have_ to choose one. If anything happens to us, Harry has two other godparents, and _you_.”

“Don’t give us that look.” Lily stated immediately. “I’ve told you a thousand times. You are Harry’s father just as much as James is. The godparents are partially for appearances and partially in case it’s too dangerous for you to take him in. Besides, I know there’re rules against gods raising their kids.”

“I’ve never really been one to follow rules, myself.” Hermes admitted with a laid-back smirk. “But if this Sirius Black character is going to be Harry’s godfather, then I suppose I really _should_ meet him.”

“YES!” James cheered. “I’ll let him know to come over.”

“Maybe it should _just_ be Sirius.” Lily said gently. “The fewer people who know about Hermes, the safer Harry will be.”

“She’s right.” Hermes agreed immediately. “Listen, it’s not uncommon for gods to spit on one another by offing their mortal kids. Most gods will take offense, but it’s not usually treated as a grievous unforgivable thing. If someone finds out about Harry, I’m afraid he might be targeted. Especially with how powerful it seems he’ll become.” He winced as he spoke. “I’m afraid that he may just end up having enough divinity to make it to godhood.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Lily asked worriedly.

“For you? Maybe, but that’s why I’m here. For him? Depends. For godlings—which is what mortals with enough divinity to ascend to godhood are called—they’re entirely mortal when they’re born. As they age, their divinity will shine through much more strongly than a demigod, adding to the danger value, but they’ll remain mortal. It’s a bit slow going at first, but their divinity usually… er… ripens, when they reach adulthood. Until then, they’re killable. And if a god _really_ doesn’t want a godling to mature, it’s technically not illegal for them to kill one.”

“So we keep Harry hidden from the other gods until he’s of age?” James frowned.

“We keep his _divinity_ hidden.” Hermes corrected. “Him being a demigod is fine, but him being a _godling_ will draw more than just a few questions. Now, I’m not usually one for inventions, but I’m a damn good thief. I’ll check my stash and see if I’ve got anything that can hide divinity. I know people have used them for demigods before… if it can hide or nearly hide a demigod’s aura, then it should make a godling look like a demigod at the very least.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Lily nodded. “Now, who wants to help me take the cookies out of the oven?”

“ME!” The two of them shouted in unison.

* * *

Sirius Orion Black was a relatively attractive young man. He had inky black hair that was styled to look intentionally untidy and sharp angled facial features that screamed nobility. He had laugh lines that crinkled when he grinned and an intentional five o’clock shadow. In all, Hermes’ first impression was that the man was ruggishly handsome to mortals, and someone who knew how to loosen up and have a good time. The stories James had told him matched up with the man he saw.

“Who’s this? James?” Sirius blinked in surprise as he saw Hermes lounging on the couch.

“Sirius, sit down. There’s a few things we need to explain to you, but I need your Marauder’s Vow to keep this quiet. I mean it, not even Remus or Peter can know.”

“I solemnly swear on my magic and honor as a Marauder to keep this secret until such a time that I am given a release on this vow. So Mote it be.” A quick flash from the tip of his wand sealed the vow.

“Well, you didn’t have to give a _vow_.” Hermes grinned. “Good to meet you, James has told me a _lot_ about you. My name is Hermes, Greek God of travelers, thieves, messengers, wealth, etcetera, etcetera, so on and so forth.”

Sirius’ jaw dropped and he stuttered for a moment. “Y-you’re _serious_?”

“No, _you’re_ Sirius. I’m Hermes.”

“Ha! He got you there!” James laughed. “But really, he’s telling the truth. Sirius, Hermes possessed me to have Harry. Harry will be a demigod.”

“So… the Gods actually _do_ listen. Huh.”

“You never did tell me which one the Blacks worship?” Lily piped up, curious.

“Erm… the Lord of the Underworld. He apparently helped the Blacks a few centuries ago with fertility and they’ve worshipped him ever since. I think that’s when the ‘dark family’ thing started up.”

“Ah, that makes sense.” James nodded. “The Potters have followed the God of the Sun, actually. Well, Sun and the Goddess of the Moon, but a lot of people neglected that. Recently, we’ve added the God of War to our shrine.”

“And I think we’ll be adding another soon.” Lily smirked as she gave Hermes a significant glance.

“You are under _no_ obligations to make your family worship me.” Hermes shook his head immediately.

“That wasn’t an outright no.” Lily grinned.

“I mean, it _does_ give us a power boost.” He shrugged. “Who am I to say no to more believers? I’m just saying you don’t _have_ to. I didn’t do this because I wanted more followers.”

“And that’s exactly _why_ you’ll be joining the others on our Family Altar.” James nodded.

“I’m thinking of changing up the Black Altar, too.” Sirius noted, having finally gathered himself. “So… you’re really…?”

“What, you want me to fly to America and pick you flowers or something?” Hermes shook his head.

“I thought the gods didn’t care about their kids?” Sirius frowned.

“Most don’t, not really.” Hermes nodded. “But there’s something… _different_ , this time.”

“Because you’re actually spending time around the kid.” James grinned.

“He’s not even _born_ yet.”

“And yet you looked _just_ as excited as me when picking out onesies.” Lily teased, causing the god to flush.

“I-I’m just saying that as the _best friend_ of the goddess of beauty, I should have a say in what he wears.”

“You and James got into a fight about which stuffed animal to give him.” Lily deadpanned.

“That ram plushy is _adorable_! And rams are one of my sacred animals! Of _course_ I want him to have one.” Hermes pouted.

“That stag was cuter. And a stag is my animagus form, so it’s only right that Harry should get that one, too.” James argued stubbornly.

“You’re… a god?” Sirius blinked. “Not… quite what I was expecting.”

“Well we can’t _all_ be smiting and lightning.” Hermes huffed. “Besides, that’s what my _father’s_ for.”

“Word of advice, Sirius? Names have power, so don’t say their names unless you _want_ to draw their attention.” Lily advised.

“I know. It’s actually a common practice in the Wizarding world. Sometimes I still forget you’re a muggleborn.”

“Whereas we gods can call one another by name without drawing attention.” Hermes grinned. “Don’t pick up my bad habits.”

“Sirius. My good friend. You’re like a brother to me, and you know I’d do _anything_ for you.” James started.

“What do you want?” Sirius eyed his friend suspiciously. “What kind of trouble did you get yourself in this time?”

“No trouble!” James promised. “Yet.” He revised. “But that’s neither here nor there. Sirius Orion Black. I’d like to ask you to be Hadrian’s Godfather.”

Sirius blinked, stunned. “M- _me_?!”

“Yes, you.”

“B-but… are you _sure_?! I mean…”

“Sirius. I trust no other mortal with our son but you.” James had a serious gleam to his eye and the other dark-haired man took a shaky breath before his eyes hardened in resolve.

“I, Sirius Orion Black, hereby accept the responsibility of being the godfather to one Hadrian Potter, and all that comes with it.” There was a light pulse of magic in the room.

“Mmm… A magical vow? Is that normal for mortals?” Hermes leaned against the back of the couch curiously.

“Yes. It ensures that the godparent can never harm or knowingly abandon their godchild. A sort of added cushion of protection.” Lily explained. “Unique to the magical side of the mortal realm.”

“Huh. Mortals are honestly incredible. I don’t think I’ll ever understand why my father looks down on you so much. Maybe he’s scared?” He smirked at the thought. Mortals progressed so _quickly_. In the blink of an immortal eye they went from wooden ships and horse-drawn carriages to _motorized cars_ and _spacecrafts_. It was _insane_.

Though sometimes it was nice to stop by the magical world in Europe, which was still stuck in the Middle Ages somewhere, and pretend that things were still how they used to be.

“So the reason we’re not telling Remus and Peter about Hermes…?” Sirius started, and Hermes sighed. This was going to be a long explanation.

“So basically, it’s like this…”

* * *

Hermes frowned as he walked through the front door of the Potter residence. This… wasn’t right. Normally _someone_ would be home, be it James, Sirius, Lily, or even one of their other friends (from whom Hermes had hidden himself). But today the house was quiet. For a brief moment, he wondered if Harry’s date had come before realizing that humans had nine months—it was only seven, now. It would be far too early for Harry to be born.

This thought brought with it a brief flare of panic. Where were they? He fought down his rising anxiety and searched the house from top to bottom.

 _Nothing_. No note, no mortals, no signs of magic. This _wasn’t right_. The little wings on his shoes fluttered, sensing his anxiety. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Hermes had the rather unique ability to track people’s essences—it was how he was able to make sure each package made it to the proper person each time. The better he knew someone, the easier it was to find them, which was why he was able to hone in on James and Lily in under two seconds.

 _Isn’t St. Mungo’s a hospital?_ He nearly forgot to hide his aura and appearance, going completely invisible before flying faster than sound to their location.

Lily sat in a hospital waiting room, wringing her hands anxiously. Sirius was to her left along with a man Hermes hadn’t met yet. He looked exhausted and had sandy blond hair with vivid claw scars running across his face. Based on the physical description provided to him by James and the somewhat monster-like energy coming off the man, Hermes would guess that this was Remus Lupin, the werewolf friend.

But where was _James_? Hermes refused to give into his darker thoughts whispering to him about the dangers of befriending mortals. Lily’s eyes roamed over where he was, but he knew she couldn’t see or sense him. He wanted desperately to show himself and ask what was going on, but with Remus there he was reluctant.

And unlike _some_ gods, he couldn’t just phase through a _solid door._ He carefully placed a hand on Sirius’ shoulder, as he was more easily reachable. He jumped a bit, and looked around. His eyes widened in realization as he turned towards Remus and Lily. “I’ll be right back. I need the loo. Let me know if anything changes, yeah?”

“Of course.” Lily’s lip twitched a bit before the frown overtook it again. She rested her hand on her belly, rubbing it worriedly.

Hermes wasted no time in following Sirius passed the loo and outside, where they quickly found a secluded area. Hermes wasted no time in revealing himself, making the mortal jump. “I thought it might’ve been you, but I didn’t even _sense_ anything!”

“I’m a god, what do you expect?” Hermes brushed it off. “What’s going on? Where’s James?”

Sirius hesitated, and Hermes felt his stomach drop. “Sirius?”

“James is alive… for now.” Those words didn’t bode well. “James and I are… erm… damnit, how do I put this?”

“Another vow?”

“Something like that. Let’s just say we’re fighting against You-Know-Who, and are on the front lines. There was a Death Eater raid tonight, and James got hit with some kind of spell. We rushed him here, but we have no idea if he’ll make it or not. According to the healers, it’s some kind of spell that eats your magic. If he survives, he’ll probably be a squib.” He winced as he spoke.

Hermes’ frown darkened. That sounded like something beyond his expertise. Magic was something most gods knew the basics of, but their magic was quite a bit different than mortal magic. Wand waving and turning water to wine was great and all, but the gods used _primal_ magic. The powerful stuff. Only Hecate would really be able to do the kind of delicate work this seemed to require… unless…

“Hold on a moment.” Hermes quickly rushed off to his house on Olympus—which was really more of his storage shed now, as he’d practically moved in with the Potters—and started aggressively rummaging through his closet. It should be _somewhere_ in here…

“Please tell me I didn’t already use it for something _stupid_!” He begged before his hand found the distinctly grooved surface he was looking for. “YES!” He wasted no time in flying down to Earth again and grabbed Sirius’ wrist.

The man jumped badly. “You came out of nowhere!”

“No time. Listen, I think I have a way to save James.” He held up a ring. “This was a gift from Hecate. Well, I say gift, but she was really just trying to get rid of it.” He shook his head, getting back on track. “Put this on James’ finger. I don’t care which one—whatever works. It should force any foreign magic or spell off of him and out of his system. The sooner we do it, the less damage will be done.”

“Right.” Sirius nodded, taking the ring. “Can you cause a distraction to let me slip into the room?”

“Psh!” Hermes grinned. “Can I cause a distraction? You’re hilarious.”

* * *

Sirius wasn’t entirely sure _what_ Hermes was up to, but judging by the shouting and running about it must’ve been something Marauder-worthy. It was a shame he was missing whatever havoc he was wrecking, but James was far more important than a little chaos.

Whatever it was, it gave Sirius the opening he needed to slip into James’ hospital room. He sucked in a breath as he saw him. Pale as the sheets he was tucked into and trembling like a leaf. His breathing was labored by pain and even in his unconscious state his face was scrunched in agony.

He couldn’t help the whimper that snuck out.

Sirius wasted no time in slipping the ring onto James’ finger—his right index, as it just so happened to be. Almost immediately, a black foul sort of magic started creeping its way down James’ arm towards the ring, which glowed brightly.

At first, his face screwed itself further into the realm of pain, and Sirius thought for one horrific moment that Hermes had been mistaken about the object he’d just unquestioningly given to his _brother_. Then, the blackness was entirely devoured by the ring, and James relaxed into his bed.

The ring appeared to vanish entirely as color started to return to James. Sirius let out a breath of relief as he snuck back out of the room. He owed Hermes _big time_.

* * *

“You need a way to contact me.” Hermes decided as he just _appeared_ in the middle of the living room. Lily and James were fairly used to it by now, but Sirius still jumped and fired off a stunner, which Hermes batted away casually. Spells like that didn’t have any effect on them, and it was so _entertaining_ to see the reactions of mortals when they realized this.

Sirius blinked. “Right. God.”

“I never got the chance to thank you.” James said. “From what I heard, you’re the one who saved my life and my magic.”

“I just happened to have an object that could help.” Hermes shook his head. “By the way, you’ll want to keep that ring on at all times. It didn’t destroy the spell, it _contained_ it. The moment you remove it, you’ll find yourself in the same state as before.”

“Lovely.”

“But, you were saying, Herms?” Lily spoke back up.

“Right. While I _can_ track your essence with my godly powers, I’d rather keep my usage to a minimum around you. We’ll have enough divinity floating around once Hadrian is born. Most of the stuff I do won’t leave a trace, but tracking involves me pushing my divinity out to look for someone—think of it like a bloodhound following a scent trail.”

“So we need a way to contact you if something happens so you’re not left panicking when nobody’s home.” Sirius surmised.

“I did _not_ panic.” Hermes denied immediately.

“Suuure you didn’t.” James grinned.

“You’ll _both_ be panicking when Hadrian’s born.” Lily assured.

“Ha! No way. I’m way to old to panic at a little blood.” Hermes laughed.

“We’ll see.” Lily smirked knowingly. “How about a bet?”

“What’dya wager?”

“Diaper duties.” Lily’s grin turned wicked. “If you panic, you have diaper duty for the entire first week.” There was something about her grin that said there was more to this that he didn’t know.

“Fine. It’s just a diaper. How bad can it be? Besides, I _won’t_ panic.” Hermes reassured. “And _when_ I don’t panic, _you_ have to give me that Christmas fudge recipe you made last year, because that was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted!” He grinned wistfully. “I swear, my nectar tastes like your fudge, now.”

“What a compliment.” Lily grinned. “By the way, I have a question for all _three_ of you.” Sirius and James turned to look at Lily with trepidation. “Do any of you even know _how_ to change a diaper?”

* * *

Mortals could pray to any god they chose. When a prayer was heard, it was a small voice in the back of that god’s head, easy to ignore or miss if they weren’t actively listening for it. If that mortal was someone that god had an eye on, their prayer would be heard a bit louder. And those that were lucky enough to be blessed by that god would be put at the forefront of the prayers, sometimes so loud that it was impossible to ignore.

After the last panic with James and the magic-eating spell, Hermes made _sure_ that the three of them knew to pray to him if they needed him. As such, he gave them each a small blessing so he wouldn’t miss it.

To James, he gifted speed. James had always been fleet-footed, but the added boost would ensure he could dodge spellfire on the battlefield. Hermes did _not_ want a repeat of the ring incident. Not to mention, he had no idea how the ring would react to another unfriendly curse. Did it even have a limit?

Sirius was gifted with one of Hermes’ most infamous abilities—thievery. Or, rather, the ability to pick nearly any lock and get into (and out of) places he should have no business being in. He figured the ability would come in handy at some point, but wasn’t necessarily anything so far out of character that people would start looking towards the gods.

Finally, to Lily, he blessed her with the gift of tongues. Now, that didn’t mean she suddenly knew every language, but it did heavily increase her aptitude towards learning them. He _was_ the god of languages, after all.

Each of these blessings was minor and relatively weak, and nobody would look twice at such skills. But they were _still_ blessings, which was the entire point. Hermes would hear the three of them loud and clear if they needed him.

Right now, Hermes was in the middle of reaping the rewards of his winning poker hand. Thor huffed and crossed his arms as he folded while Loki laughed. He often played with these two Norse gods, and occasionally a few from the Eastern pantheons.

Despite him spending most of his time on Earth these days with Lily, James, and Sirius (who he now called a friend as well), he valued the time he spent with friends like this.

“Think again, Hermes. Royal straight. Read ‘em and weep.” Loki grinned, showing his hand as Thor and Hermes cursed. Well, _most_ of the time.

It’d honestly been a long time since Hermes had given out a blessing, let alone three. So he jumped quite badly when James’ panicked voice _yelled_ in his head so loudly that he could hardly decipher what was said beyond ‘Lily’ and ‘come’.

“You okay?” Thor raised an eyebrow, but Hermes wasn’t paying attention anymore. They knew to pray when they were in great need of him, not a pleasure visit.

“Sorry, something’s come up. I need to go.” He hurriedly stated as he sped away, leaving his gambling cash behind with two very confused and mildly concerned Norse gods.

As he traveled, Hermes’ brain was shoving all sorts of nasty images at him. Would he be too late? Had James been attacked again? Or—gods forbid—was something wrong with _Lily_?!

He bypassed all the wards of the house and ran through the front door. Perhaps it was a good thing that only Sirius and James were in the room. They looked pale and anxious and _where was Lily_?!

Sirius must’ve realized where his mind was going because he put a firm hand on Hermes’ shoulder. “Take a breath and _calm down_ , Herms.”

“Where’s Lily?”

“She’s fine.” James spoke.

“I _told_ you to calm down before calling him here.” Sirius shot James a pointed look.

“He’s every right to know as soon as us!”

“That’s true, but with the way you no doubt _screamed_ that prayer, he probably thought we were being attacked.”

“Will someone _please_ just tell me what’s going on?” Hermes finally lost his patience.

“Lily’s in labor.” James finally said, and suddenly all Hermes’ anxiety came back tenfold.

“Already?! But I thought mortals took _nine months_?!” It _can’t_ have been nine months already!

“Herms.” Sirius chuckled. “It’s _July_. It _has_ been nine months.”

Hermes’ mouth formed a small o as he realized that his immortal concept of time had thrown him off. He could’ve sworn they’d had more time. Luckily, he carried a small bottle with the crushed ambrosia elixir _just in case_.

He jumped when he heard a pained scream from the other room. With a startling trill of fear, he realized that he’d never witnessed a mortal birth before. He’d heard tales of how painful it could be, but…

“Come on.” James said, grabbing Sirius and Hermes. “We should be in there, too. The mediwitch is already inside.”

“W-wait, what about—”

“No worries, Herms.” Sirius grinned shakily. “They’re bound by magic to complete and total secrecy. You-Know-Who could walk through that door and she wouldn’t be able to tell anyone.”

“Right…” Hermes swallowed as he came into the room. The first thing that hit him was the coppery scent of blood. The second thing that hit him was Lily—literally. He’d strayed too close to the bed, and her fist whacked his arm hard enough to bruise.

“Ow!” He grasped his arm. “You _bruised_ me!” He gasped. “Do you have any idea how hard it is for a _mortal_ to bruise a _god_?”

“Oh, quit your whining.” James shook his head as the mediwitch—who’d heard nothing over her own muttering and gathering of supplies—shot Sirius and Hermes a glare.

“Only the father and applicable others are permitted in the room—even in a home birthing.” She stated firmly.

“I’m the godfather.” Sirius stated weakly, and she huffed.

“Acceptable.”

“Er… I’m the father, too?” Hermes tried, and she shot him an unimpressed look.

“He’s telling the truth.” James stated firmly. “Go on.”

Hermes sighed. “I’m Hermes, god of travelers messengers, and _ow, Lily,_ you are going to _break_ something if you squeeze that tight!”

Lily had latched onto his hand and squeezed with all her might—poor James was in the same position on her other side. The mediwitch stared at him with wide eyes. “Are you telling me that this child is a demigod?”

“There’s a reason why I brought this.” He held up the crystal vial filled with an iridescent shimmering liquid the likes of which could not be replicated with potions.

“The ambrosia?” James winced as Lily squeezed again. “You think we’ll need it?”

“I hope not, but it’s best to be sure, just in case.” Hermes gently squeezed back, despite the fact that he could no longer feel his fingers. Why did a _mortal_ have such a strong grip? Oh, right. Lily was a demigod, too.

The minutes felt like hours, and for the first time Hermes _wished_ it were slowed by boredom instead of anxiety. Lily’s screams got louder and more pained as time passed before abruptly growing weaker. Just as Hermes had feared, it was taking far too much of a toll on her body.

“Lily, I need you to drink this.” He held the vial up to her lips. She panted heavily before drinking. Almost instantly vitality returned to her, and she blinked rapidly. Hermes kept careful tabs on just how much ambrosia he gave her. The last thing he wanted was to overdose her—demigod or not.

After a grueling eight hours of screaming, hand-crushing, panicking on _all_ the males’ parts, and careful ambrosia-feeding, a new sound was heard. The cry of a newborn babe.

Hermes could _feel_ it, and was internally grateful he added some god-level warding to prevent others from picking up on this aura. The kid’s divinity was _definitely_ a godling.

He stared after the mediwitch who spelled away the blood and wrapped the child in a soft blue blanket. Hermes happened to be the closest to her, so she held out the bundle to him. He hesitated, holding out his arms unsure of how to cradle an infant despite Lily’s numerous parent classes.

The mediwitch gave him an unimpressed look as she finally handed over his son— _his son_ —and started busying herself with Lily. While exhausted, she was fine. But Hermes only had eyes for the crying infant in his arms.

He was _so tiny_. Were all mortals born this small? He adjusted his positioning and gently rocked the newborn, who sniffled and started calming down. Hadrian opened his eyes—the incredible crystal-clear bright blue of a newborn babe—and stared right into Hermes’ shimmering iridescent blue ones.

It was a love the likes of which Hermes had never known. A deep-rooted warmth that encompassed all he was and all he would ever be. This tiny fussing being held so delicately in his arms was suddenly his entire world. Nothing mattered but this child.

For the first time, Hermes finally understood why mortals waged _wars_ for their children. Why they protected them so fiercely and why mothers would face Hades himself to defend them. He knew instantly that he would face anyone—even his own father—to protect this child. _Nobody_ was more important than his son.

He hadn’t realized he was crying until a small crystal landed on Hadrian’s blanket. The tears of a god were a powerful and potent thing. They weren’t like mortals’ tears. They often solidified into crystals of great power. But Hermes himself had never truly cried before, and certainly not because of something that felt so _good_.

“Hermes.” Lily’s gentle voice startled him out of his trance. He hesitantly handed the child over to his mother, making sure to pluck the tears—there were _four_ of them—from the blanket.

“You okay?” James asked.

“I’ve… never seen something so beautiful.” He whispered. “I… I’ve never felt like this before.”

“You did good, Lils.” James smiled, and Lily handed Hadrian to James next. The man looked stunned as he held his son, and Hermes imagined he’d been in a similar state when he held him.

He looked down at the tears in his hand. He’d seen Aphrodite’s tears after the death of Adonis. They were beautiful and clear and radiated _so much sorrow_.

But _his_ tears were different. They were just as beautiful and shined like diamonds, but they radiated a quiet joy and peace that he’d never known he was capable of. For the god of travelers, he’d never truly felt at home before. But looking at Hadrian—his _son_ , he reminded himself—he felt like he finally understood the saying ‘home is where the heart is’.

“Do you have a name, miss?” The healer asked Lily, bag already packed. “It’s all I need before I head out. And rest assured, Lord Hermes, your involvement will remain confidential and off-the-record. But should anything happen, Magic will recognize you as the father.”

“Hadrian.” Lily smiled softly down at the sleeping bundle that was back in her arms. “Hadrian Ermis Potter.”

“Then it shall be. Let it be known that on this day, the Thirty-first of July, the Ancient and Noble House of Potter has an heir.” The healer smiled before quietly leaving the room and the premises.

Hermes, unable to tear himself away from the child, didn’t sleep. He instead stayed awake all night, marveling at the sleeping godling until his brother raised the sun.


End file.
